Wing hinge assembly including hinged torque boxes
A wing assembly comprises a fixed section, a foldable section, and a hinge assembly for hinging the foldable section to the fixed section. The hinge assembly includes a plurality of interleaved torque boxes that are hinged together.
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Long span wings are desirable for commercial aircraft as they are more aerodynamically efficient than shorter wings. The greater aerodynamic efficiency results in lower fuel consumption and, therefore, lower operating costs.
However, existing airport designs place limits on aircraft wingspan. Airport designs are based on international Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Codes A through F, which establish dimensional limits on wingspan, landing gear width, length, etc. For instance, an ICAO Code E airport limits wingspan to less than 65 meters so that aircraft can fit within runways, taxiways and gate areas.
A folding wing design may be used to reduce the span of these wings to fit within the limitations of an existing airport's infrastructure. Folding wings may be folded to fit within parking areas and taxiways, and they may be deployed prior to takeoff to increase wing span.
Folding wing designs are commonly used in naval aircraft. Folding wings enable naval aircraft to occupy less space in confined aircraft carrier hangars. Wing fold joints in naval aircraft use highly loaded hinges and locking pins acting over very small wing bending reaction moment arms. However, naval aircraft are much smaller than large commercial aircraft, and present folding wing designs for naval aircraft are optimized to different mission parameters than large commercial aircraft.
In commercial aircraft, a folding wing design may be scaled up. High reaction loads may be overcome by increasing the size of the hinges and locking pins. However, these size increases would increase aircraft weight, and increases in aircraft weight are undesirable because operating costs such as fuel costs are increased. Consequently, the increase in weight negates the advantages offered by the long span wings.
SUMMARYAccording to an embodiment herein, a wing assembly comprises a fixed section, a foldable section, and a hinge assembly for hinging the foldable section to the fixed section. The hinge assembly includes a plurality of interleaved torque boxes that are hinged together.
According to another embodiment herein, an aircraft comprises a wing assembly including a fixed section, a foldable section, and a hinge for hinging the foldable section to the fixed section. The hinge includes torque boxes that are pinned together along a hinge axis.
According to another embodiment herein, an aircraft comprises a wing assembly including a wing tip, a first torque box extending from the wing tip, an inboard section, and a second torque box extending from the inboard section. The torque boxes are hinged together so the wing tip is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position.
According to another embodiment herein, there is a method of enhancing aerodynamic performance of an aircraft wing assembly including a fixed section and a foldable section. The foldable section is hinged to the fixed section at a hinge axis. The method comprises turning a torque box extending from the foldable section to rotate the foldable section about the hinge axis. The foldable section is rotated between a stowed position and a deployed position.
These features and functions may be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in other embodiments. Further details of the embodiments can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
Reference is made to
The fixed inboard section, which may be a main wing or an inboard section thereof, includes moveable flight control surfaces (e.g., ailerons, slats, flaps). The foldable outboard section may include moveable flight control surfaces. In some embodiments, the foldable outboard section may be a wing tip. In other embodiments, the foldable section may be an outboard section of the main wing.
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Additional reference is made to
A hinge axis HA extends through the pins 516 in a chordwise direction through a center of the wing assembly 130 (the central location of the hinge axis HA is best shown in
The foldable section 410 may be locked to the fixed section 310 by latch pins 518. In the embodiment shown in
Other embodiments of the hinge assembly 510 may include other numbers of torque boxes. For instance, another embodiment of a hinge assembly herein may utilize ribs instead of the outer torque boxes 511 and 513. Yet another embodiment of a hinge assembly herein may only include a single torque box extending from the foldable section and hinged between two torque boxes extending from the fixed section. However, at least two torque boxes extending from each closeout rib are advantageous, as they provide redundant load paths. The three torque boxes 511, 513, and 515 advantageously provide a shear interface on either side of the torque boxes 512 and 514 extending from the foldable section 410. Spatial constraints may limit the use of additional torque boxes.
Reference is now made to
The ribs 625 alone may provide stiffness against bending. If the wing assembly 130 is swept, however, it will also have torsion associated with wing bending. Torsional stiffness is desirable to maintain the angle of attack and prevent flutter. The torque box 610 provides the desired stabilization in all directions, including the spanwise direction
The torque box 610 further includes a shear web 630 between the skin panels 615 and 620. The shear web 630 provides a continuous shear path between the top and bottom skin panels 615 and 620. As the wing assembly 130 is bent and twisted during flight, the shear web 630 transfers a load Mi between the skin panels 615 and 620. This allows the wing moment Mi to be reacted by equal and opposite vertical loads PL and PH at the hinge and latch. Horizontal forces Psk (that is, the loads through the skin panels 615 and 620) are balanced by the vertical forces PL and PH
The shear web 630 includes an opening 632 for insertion of a hinge pin 640. The opening 632 may be located mid-way between the top and bottom skin panels 615 and 620, whereby the hinge axis HA is centered inside the wing assembly. The central hinge axis HA also enables the hinge assembly 510 to be integrated entirely within the aerodynamic shape of the wing assembly 130. Because the hinge assembly 510 is not external, either drag is reduced or a fairing is not needed to reduce drag.
A cover (not shown) may close off the open end of the torque box 610. The cover may be removable to give access to the inside of the torque box 610. For instance, the torque box 610 may allow extraneous structure associated with the folding and latching mechanisms to be located in sealed cavities, for maximum protection from the environment.
A torque box herein is not limited to the construction illustrated in
Returning briefly to
Reference is now made to
The actuator system 710 also includes actuators for moving the latch pins 518 into and out of engagement with the torque boxes 512 and 514 that extend from the foldable section 410.
The actuator system 710 further includes a controller 740 for commanding the operation of the actuators 720 and 730. The controller 740 may include a microprocessor. The controller 740 may communicate with a flight computer (not shown) to determine when to deploy or stow the foldable section. 410. The controller 740 may also include hydraulic valves that sequence the actuators 720 and 730.
Reference is now made to
At block 810, the aircraft is parked with outboard portions of its wing tips in a stowed position. At block 820, the aircraft is moved to a gate, loaded, and taxied to a runway. The wing tips remain in the stowed position so the aircraft can fit within taxiways en route to the runway.
At block 830, prior to takeoff, the outboard portions of the wing tips are deployed by turning a foldable-side torque box extending from the folding wing tip. The torque box is turned in a direction that rotates the folding wing tip from the stowed position to a deployed position.
At block 840, latch pins are moved through closeout ribs of fixed sections to engage torque boxes extending from the folding wing tips. In this manner, the wing tips are locked to the fixed sections.
By deploying the folding wing tip, wingspan is extended and, as a result, aerodynamic efficiency is increased. The greater aerodynamic efficiency results in lower fuel consumption during flight and, therefore, lowers operating costs and increased lift to optimize take-off.
Although a hinge assembly herein has been described in connection with a wing assembly of a commercial aircraft, it is not so limited. Other structures in the aircraft 110 of
A hinge assembly herein is not even limited to commercial aircraft. For instance, a hinge assembly herein may be applied to helicopter blades, wind generator turbine blades, truck tailgates, folding ramps, robotic arms, etc.
Claims
1. A wing assembly comprising:
- a fixed section,
- a foldable section, and
- a hinge assembly for hinging the foldable section to the fixed section, the hinge assembly including: first and second hollow torque boxes extending away from the fixed section, each of the first and second torque boxes having sides enclosing an interior void, and a third hollow torque box extending away from the foldable section and having sides enclosing an interior void, the third hollow torque box interleaved between and hinged to the first and second hollow torque boxes, the third torque box configured to be latched when the foldable section is moved to a deployed position.
2. The wing assembly of claim 1, wherein the sides of each hollow torque box comprise first and second ribs and upper and lower skin panels.
3. The wing assembly of claim 2, wherein the third hollow torque box is attached to a closeout rib of the foldable section and is elongated in a direction normal to the closeout rib of the foldable section, and the first and second hollow torque boxes are attached to a closeout rib of the fixed section and are elongated in a direction normal to the closeout rib of the fixed section.
4. The wing assembly of claim 3, wherein the hinge assembly further includes a fourth hollow torque box extending away from the closeout rib of the fixed section, and a fifth hollow torque box extending away from the closeout rib of the foldable section and hinged between the second and fourth hollow torque boxes, the fourth hollow torque box also configured to be latched when the foldable section is moved to a deployed position.
5. The wing assembly of claim 3, wherein each hollow torque box includes a stiffening substructure connected to the top and bottom skin panels and to the closeout rib from which the hollow torque box extends.
6. The wing assembly of claim 5, wherein the stiffening substructure of each hollow torque box further includes a shear web disposed within and only partially occupying the interior void, the shear web extending between the skin panels for transferring bending loads between the skin panels.
7. The wing assembly of claim 1, wherein the hollow torque boxes are hinged about a hinge axis that extends through sides of the hollow torque boxes.
8. The wing assembly of claim 7, wherein the hollow torque boxes are coupled by hollow hinge pins extending through ribs of the hollow torque boxes.
9. The wing assembly of claim 8, further comprising electrical wires extending through the pins.
10. The wing assembly of claim 7, further comprising rotary actuators for rotating the foldable section about the hinge axis.
11. A method of enhancing aerodynamic performance of the wing assembly of claim 7, comprising turning the third hollow torque box to rotate the foldable section about the hinge axis, the foldable section rotated between a stowed position and a deployed position.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising moving latch pins through a closeout rib of the fixed section to engage the third hollow torque box.
13. The wing assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixed section is swept.
14. The wing assembly of claim 1, wherein the foldable section is a wing tip, and the fixed section includes a main wing.
15. The wing assembly of claim 14, wherein the wing tip and the main wing are configured for a commercial aircraft.
16. An aircraft comprising a wing assembly including:
- a fixed section,
- a foldable section, and
- a hinge for hinging the foldable section to the fixed section, the hinge including hollow torque boxes that are pinned together along a hinge axis, each hollow torque box including first and second ribs that form sides of the torque box and upper and lower skin panels on the ribs to define an interior void.
17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the torque boxes are configured to carry both bending and torsional loads.
18. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the hollow torque boxes include at least two elongated, hollow torque boxes extending inbound from a closeout rib of the foldable section, and at least two elongated, hollow torque boxes extending outbound from a closeout rib of the fixed section.
19. The aircraft of claim 18, wherein the hollow torque boxes include first, second and third hollow torque boxes extending from a closeout rib of the fixed section, a fourth hollow torque box extending from the foldable section and hinged between the first and second torque boxes, and a fifth hollow torque box extending from the foldable section and hinged between the second and third torque boxes.
20. The aircraft of claim 18, wherein the upper and lower skin panels of each hollow torque box are connected to the first and second ribs and to the closeout rib from which the hollow torque box extends.
21. The aircraft of claim 20, wherein each torque box further includes a shear web disposed within and only partially occupying the interior void, the shear web extending between the skin panels for transferring bending loads between the skin panels.
22. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the hinge axis is centrally located within the wing assembly.
23. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the hollow torque boxes are coupled by hollow hinge pins extending through ribs of the torque boxes.
24. The aircraft of claim 23, further comprising electrical cables extending through the pins.
25. The aircraft of claim 16, further comprising a rotary actuator for rotating the foldable section about the hinge axis.
26. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the fixed section is swept.
27. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the foldable section is a wing tip, and the fixed section includes a main wing.
28. An aircraft comprising a wing assembly including:
- a wing tip;
- a first hollow torque box elongated in a spanwise direction away from the wing tip when the wing tip is in a deployed position, the first hollow torque box having sides enclosing an interior void;
- an inboard section; and
- a second hollow torque box elongated in a spanwise direction away from the inboard section, the first and second hollow torque boxes hinged together so the wing tip is moveable between a stowed position and the deployed position.
29. The aircraft of claim 28, wherein the first and second hollow torque boxes are configured to carry both bending and torsional loads.
30. The aircraft of claim 28, wherein the first hollow torque box is attached to a closeout rib of the wing tip, and the second hollow torque box is attached to a closeout rib of the inboard section; and wherein the first and second hollow torque boxes are hinged together about a hinge axis located between the closeout ribs.
31. The aircraft of claim 30, wherein each hollow torque box includes a stiffening substructure and top and bottom skin panels connected to the stiffening structure and to the closeout rib from which the hollow torque box extends.
32. The aircraft of claim 31, wherein the stiffening substructure of each hollow torque box further includes a shear web disposed within and only partially occupying the interior void, the shear web extending between the skin panels for transferring bending loads between the skin panels.
33. The aircraft of claim 31, further comprising latch pins for engaging the first hollow torque box when the wing tip is in the deployed position.
34. The aircraft of claim 28, further comprising rotary actuators for moving the wing tip between the stowed and deployed positions.
35. The aircraft of claim 28, wherein the inboard section is swept.
36. The aircraft of claim 28, wherein the wing tip and the inboard section are configured for a commercial aircraft.
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- Search Report for related European Application No. EP13190920.2; report dated Nov. 8, 2017.
Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 30, 2012
Date of Patent: Mar 13, 2018
Patent Publication Number: 20140117150
Assignee: The Boeing Company (Chicago, IL)
Inventors: Mark S. Good (Seattle, WA), Steven Paul Walker (Arlington, WA)
Primary Examiner: Valentina Xavier
Application Number: 13/664,371